| Believe it or not, it's faster to write a good paper than it | | | | Springfield are nice. It may be that Springfield also has |
| is to write a bad one! What you want to do is avoid | | | | good employment and many other qualities, but in a |
| over-researching, over-writing, and over-editing. All you | | | | five hundred word paper there is usually not enough |
| need is a very simple step by step process to keep | | | | room for more than three defending points. |
| you from getting off track. | | | | You find your points as you are browsing in the library |
| Step one: Always begin by carefully reviewing your | | | | for resources. As soon as you find something that can |
| teacher's instructions regarding topic, resources, and | | | | defend your statement, insert a bookmark to mark the |
| style (such as MLA). | | | | page. This step of your paper should take from five to |
| Step two: Choose a thesis statement (sometimes | | | | twenty minutes. |
| called a topic sentence). In a nutshell, this is a single | | | | Step four: Organize your paper as follows: You will |
| sentence that describes what you are trying to tell | | | | have five paragraphs, on rare occasion, six. In the first |
| your audience. It is the main point you are trying to | | | | paragraph you will write your thesis statement and |
| make. Often your thesis statement will be an opinion. | | | | explain what you are going to say in your paper. Your |
| Don't make it complex. What do you want to say? An | | | | next paragraphs will each make one point that |
| example of a thesis statement is, "Springfield is a good | | | | defends your thesis statement. Each paragraph will |
| city." | | | | also have at least one reference to a source that |
| Step three: Quickly choose suitable resources. Check | | | | defends your point. You might include quotations from |
| with your instructor's specifications for your paper, but | | | | your source, as it relates to the point in that paragraph. |
| typically a five hundred word paper will need to cite | | | | The last paragraph in your paper is a summary and |
| three printed sources. Do not select more than | | | | restates or rephrases your thesis, and makes mention |
| required and come home with a stack of thick books. | | | | of the three defending points. In brief: 1) Tell them what |
| As you browse in the library, look only for sources | | | | you're going to say, 2-4) say it in detail, 5) tell them |
| which you can quote to defend your thesis statement. | | | | what you just said. Writing your paper need not take |
| An interesting source on the same topic, but that does | | | | more than an hour. |
| not defend your statement, will not help you and will | | | | Step five: Write your resources page according to |
| waste your time. | | | | MLA style or as otherwise required by your teacher. |
| In a five hundred word paper, you will be looking for | | | | Read your paper for errors and make corrections, and |
| three points to defend your thesis statement. For | | | | you are done. With practice, you can research and |
| example for the above thesis your defending points | | | | write a good paper from beginning to end in two hours. |
| could be: 1) Springfield has a good climate, 2) Springfield | | | | Good luck! |
| has a variety of entertainment, 3) The people of | | | | |